Speaking of Art Dudley, and the "mono-ness" of the Decca cartridge (as I did above), Dudley talks about that in his review of the Decca Maroon (the entry-level model) in his column in the current (December) issue of Stereophile.
A new player in the quality Mono cartridge game
For awhile there, if you wanted a mono cart to get the most out your new mono Beatles collection, other mono reissues, or vintage mono LPs, there were the budget offerings from Grado, a big price gap, and then the more expensive good stuff. The elliptical mono Grado goes for around $150.
But now the Audio Technica AT MONO3/LP, a HOMC, is available in the US. The link goes to the official importer, LpGear, who prices this $299.99 cart at $189.99. However, I also found that this cart is available from Amazon for $112.65. Worried that the unofficial import puts your purchase at risk? For a mere $12 extra you can buy a 2-year protection warranty.
I ordered mine via Amazon Prime on Sat. Oct. 24 and it arrived today.
This thing is NICE! 1.2mV output, which is plenty, conical stylus (don't know if it's nude or not, but it *sounds* nude), tracking force range 1.5-2.5g. I'm breaking mine in at around 2g.
Even fresh out of the box, this cart's a revelation. I started with "Within You Without You" from the new Beatles Mono vinyl reissue. It's really something when you play a mono record with a cartridge that produces no signal in the vertical plane. The noise floor drops down to the indiscernible. In fact, even cueing the needle makes very little sound thru the speakers.
Everything on Sgt. Pepper's sounded richer, lusher, more distinct, more dynamic, with great treble extension and no hint of sibilance. I followed it with Analogue Productions' 3-LP 45 rpm remaster of Nat King Cole's "After Midnight." Fan-TASTIC! I thought Nat was in the room before, but the dynamics, transparency, and truth-in-timbre reached a height I hadn't heard on my rig up to now.
I finished my mini-audition with a *real* mono record, an original mono Columbia Masterworks pressing of "Grand Canyon Suite" performed by Eugene Ormandy and The Phily Phil. Again, smoother, quieter, more dynamics. It showed its age a little bit, but I think I could bring this 55-yr-old record close to the reissues with a steam cleaning. Even without it it was very satisfying.
Folks, if you have nothing but the new Beatles mono reissues and have an easy way to switch cartridges or set up a mono rig, this cart is so worth it.
Right now I have around 13 Beatles mono LPs, two Beach Boys reissues, the Nat King Cole, some old Columbia Masterworks and shaded dog Orthophonics, mono reissues of Prestige and Miles Davis LPs, and some mono pressings of '60s pop.
I'm thinking of separating all my mono vinyl into its own shelf so--when I mount the AT Mono3 LP--I don't have to sort through my entire collection to play the compatible LPs.
BTW, if you decide to go after this cartridge, make sure you get the AT MONO3/LP cartridge, which is for mono LPS, and *NOT* the AT MONO3/SP cartridge, which is for 78s.
But now the Audio Technica AT MONO3/LP, a HOMC, is available in the US. The link goes to the official importer, LpGear, who prices this $299.99 cart at $189.99. However, I also found that this cart is available from Amazon for $112.65. Worried that the unofficial import puts your purchase at risk? For a mere $12 extra you can buy a 2-year protection warranty.
I ordered mine via Amazon Prime on Sat. Oct. 24 and it arrived today.
This thing is NICE! 1.2mV output, which is plenty, conical stylus (don't know if it's nude or not, but it *sounds* nude), tracking force range 1.5-2.5g. I'm breaking mine in at around 2g.
Even fresh out of the box, this cart's a revelation. I started with "Within You Without You" from the new Beatles Mono vinyl reissue. It's really something when you play a mono record with a cartridge that produces no signal in the vertical plane. The noise floor drops down to the indiscernible. In fact, even cueing the needle makes very little sound thru the speakers.
Everything on Sgt. Pepper's sounded richer, lusher, more distinct, more dynamic, with great treble extension and no hint of sibilance. I followed it with Analogue Productions' 3-LP 45 rpm remaster of Nat King Cole's "After Midnight." Fan-TASTIC! I thought Nat was in the room before, but the dynamics, transparency, and truth-in-timbre reached a height I hadn't heard on my rig up to now.
I finished my mini-audition with a *real* mono record, an original mono Columbia Masterworks pressing of "Grand Canyon Suite" performed by Eugene Ormandy and The Phily Phil. Again, smoother, quieter, more dynamics. It showed its age a little bit, but I think I could bring this 55-yr-old record close to the reissues with a steam cleaning. Even without it it was very satisfying.
Folks, if you have nothing but the new Beatles mono reissues and have an easy way to switch cartridges or set up a mono rig, this cart is so worth it.
Right now I have around 13 Beatles mono LPs, two Beach Boys reissues, the Nat King Cole, some old Columbia Masterworks and shaded dog Orthophonics, mono reissues of Prestige and Miles Davis LPs, and some mono pressings of '60s pop.
I'm thinking of separating all my mono vinyl into its own shelf so--when I mount the AT Mono3 LP--I don't have to sort through my entire collection to play the compatible LPs.
BTW, if you decide to go after this cartridge, make sure you get the AT MONO3/LP cartridge, which is for mono LPS, and *NOT* the AT MONO3/SP cartridge, which is for 78s.
76 responses Add your response
JohnnyB53, thanks for this thread. Today I mounted a $327 AT33MONO ebayed from Japan to a SME 3012R. Very impressive sound, even at zero hrs. Next step was a complete sort through the jazz collection to extract all mono LPs for further listening. Pleased to find about 50 LPs-- which together with the Beatles box, easily justifies the purchase. Just seeing the all these mono issues spread wide across artists, genres, and eras all together in one box is a refreshing and new way to approach a listening session. |
I've been looking through my original and subsequent posts, and realize I have conflated two different Audio Technica moving coil mono cartridges: The ATMONO3/LP, which has 1.2mV output and is the one that I have, and the AT33MONO, which is 0.3mV output. The ATMONO3/LP has an official US distributor, LpGear.com, who prices it at $189. You can also get it for as low as $112.65 on Amazon (which is what I did). The AT33MONO is not officially imported, so you can get it from eBay or Amazon. It's usually in the $270-340 range. Both have the same weight and both feature an aluminum cantilever and spherical (conical?) stylus. My stereo cartridge is an AT150MLX, which is quite an overachiever for an MM cartridge. As good as the AT150MLX is, the ATMONO3/LP holds up well when I switch to it, and it really brings the advantages of a mono cartridge--a great sense of immediacy, much lower noise floor (esp. on old mono) and a really coherent sound that smacks you in the middle of the head. It sounded so good on the new Beatles Mono LP releases that it sent me searching for other mono albums I have, some 50 and more years old. It turns out I have 57 and counting. |
Lordie, I'm sure I have a couple of hundred mono LPs. It seems like about half or surely 40%-ish of my favorite LPs are in mono. Which is why I am fascinated right now with the subject of mono cartridges. Once I finally buy one, I will probably forgeddaboudit. Does anyone own one of the "high end" mono cartridges, like the Helikon Mono or the Miyajima Zero? The latter is calling out to me right now; it's saying "buy me". But I'd rather spend $500-ish than the $2000 cost of the Zero. |
Lewm, FWIW the AT33MONO has turned my world upside down-- or at least tilted it 45 degrees-- w/r to mono records. By comparison a fine stereo cartridge playing a mono record sounds disorganized, desiccated, and noisy in the grooves. Well worth a $330 experiment, even if that subsequently leads to a grail quest for a Zero. |
... or even a $112.65-189 experiment for the ATMONO3/LP. That’s a small price for proof of concept. You could always take your time to research and pick the ultimate mono cart. In the meantime, that ATMONO3/LP takes care of all the stereo vs. mono cartridge issues and then some for a pittance. It sounds really good and brings out the advantages of mono. |
The Miyajima Zero is a scary cart. My mono reissues (many Japanese) are irreplaceable. That cart tracks at 3.5g (4g max) with a spherical tip and will tear up a stereo groove. Seems like a bad idea. Wonder how many hours till the tip wears out. I'd be more inclined to check out a Lyra or a Cadenza Mono w/fine line. Switch from accurate to romantic just for mono? |
Here's a really enlightening rundown on stylus shapes' advantages and disadvantages from someone who should know, Soundsmith: http://www.sound-smith.com/articles/stylus-shape-information Conical doesn't get too much love there, but my ATMONO3/LP is nice, especially since I only have about 62 (and counting) mono LPs out of around 1500. However, the Ortofon 2M Mono SE (available only direct from their website) has a Shibata stylus and is more or less within the budget range (499 Euro). |
Regarding stylus shape, I expect one must consider which records are being played. Few if any mono cutter heads remain which means these "modern" mono reissues are being cut with stereo heads. And that leads to consideration of tip shape and size for playback. Some time ago I posted my findings about stylus tip and record groves. Here is what I learned for optimizing mono LPs: - Pre-stereo era, '48-'57, 1.0 mil conical - Early stereo era, '58-'70, 0.7 mil conical - Recent reissues, any narrow elliptical profile Jonathan Carr (Lyra) stated his research determined narrow elliptical stylus profiles are best for their current mono cartridges. But while he didn't specify which LPs were tested I expect they were all recent reissues, thus cut with modern stereo cutter heads. So if all your mono LPs are reissues produced within the past 20 years or so, that can simplify your choice. Same if that are all original mono pressings from the pre-stereo era. It's when you have a mix of old and new monos this can become more complicated. |
Fleib, I am rather surprised that a person as knowledgable as you are would say this: "That cart tracks at 3.5g (4g max) with a spherical tip and will tear up a stereo groove." First, if I would ever use the Zero (or whatever mono cartridge I eventually purchase) to play a stereo LP, it would only be by accident. Second, the recommended VTF per se does not tell us much about how the cartridge will "wear" a groove encoding only mono signal. And third, I believe these issues were addressed to my satisfaction in reviews I have read of the Zero. One reviewer, it might have been MF, explicitly said the Zero was safe even for stereo LPs, although I would never intentionally go that route. For one thing, the Zero does have some vertical compliance. Dave, I am already at the point where I do not play mono LPs except on my basement system, which is equipped with a preamplifier that has a mono switch. I no longer listen to mono LPs in all-stereo mode. There is a phenomenal improvement to be had by switching to mono mode when playing mono LPs with a stereo cartridge, which is what I have been doing for many months, and which is what got me into this thread in the first place. I continue to believe, until I hear otherwise with my own ears, that a mono switch will give you 80% to 90%, at worst, of the improvement you can achieve using a "modern" mono cartridge to play mono LPs. (Here I refer only to post-1950 true "LPs", not 78s or whatever else was available in the late 1940s.) For my upstairs system, which has no stereo/mono switch, I require a low output Mono cartridge. So, if I were to purchase an AT, it would have to be the MC type. Is that the one you have, Dave? I am certainly also receptive to a Lyra Helikon (but too expensive) or Lyra Kleos or Miyajima Premium Be. All of these, plus the Zero, are known to be internally modified so as to suppress the capacity to respond to vertical modulation. The Miyajima Premium and Zero are said from the get-go to have been designed for mono. |
Lewm: The ATMONO3/LP that I got is an HOMC with output of 1.2mV, but the AT-33 MONO is a mono version of their AT-33 series. It’s an LOMC with 0.35 mV output. Since this model is not officially imported to the US and you want to avoid Amazon, you could pick one up from any number of international vendors on eBay for BIN prices that range from $309 to $475. http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=p2050601.m570.l1313.TR0.TRC0.H0.Xaudio+technica... You can also custom order any cartridge from Grado in mono. They have a series of wood-bodied low output moving iron cartridges (Statement series), one of which (the Sonata v2) is $600. The Ortofon 2M Mono SE is available directly from Ortofon for $499 Euro. It has a Shibata stylus, but is a high output MM. |
Thanks, Johnny. I've been staring at the ads for the AT33Mono on eBay for at least several months. After re-re-reading the Ortofon blurb on the 2M Mono SE, which so far as I can tell is ONLY available from Ortofon directly, I am now in doubt as to how it is constructed. But you're right in any case; it's high output. Today also, I found out that many of the SoundSmith cartridges, low output types, can be had in Mono version, and a phone call to SS revealed that they at least claim their mono versions are "true mono", meaning built so as to suppress output due to vertical modulation. Some of those are reasonable in cost, meaning less than $1000. |
Lew, Accidents happen. Go to Miyajima site and read - When it played a stereo LP with this cartridge, a sound is that a distortion and a needle do not work lengthwise, and there is the thing that a needle injures the ditch of the LP. What does injure the ditch of the LP mean? The reviewer is a dumbass. I was talking about tip wear. We already know a Zero will tear up a stereo groove. How many hours will you get from a spherical tracking at 3.5g ? I guess it depends on diamond quality and polish. I think any MM/MI type you look at is going to use stereo coils connected in such a way to cancel vertical output. MCs like the 33MONO only have a horizontal coil, but vertical compliance. I'd think with your mono collection you'd want a tip with a more advanced profile. The Cadenza mono has a fine line and is less expensive than a Zero. Can't say I've heard it, but my MONO3 has a nice presentation but lacks some resolution compared to better stereo carts. Regards, |
Fleib, I've found that--with the ATMONO/3/LP HOMC--the resolution can vary with the quality of the mono mix. My stereo cart is an AT150MLX--boron cantilever, microline nude stylus. I have both a stereo and a mono copy of "Al Hirt's Greatest Hits," an RCA 1965 recording. The stereo version is in excellent shape; the mono was still sealed and set me back a whopping 25 cents. Anyway, when I played both records with my stereo cart, the stereo version sounded decidedly better. The mono pressing sounded murkier and the vocal backing was harder to hear. However, when I swapped to the ATMono3/LP, the mono pressing sounded as if someone flipped a resolution switch. The mix was deep, spacious, and very well separated. As good as the background vocals sounded on the stereo one, the mono cart playing the mono pressing was even better with more inner detail and a bit more overall cohesiveness. On vintage mono from 1969 backward, I consistently get an inaudible noise floor and a very satisfactory music experience. Come to think of it, I also get that with the modern pressings--Beach Boys from Capitol, the new Beatles MONO release, and an Analogue Productions' 45 rpm pressing of a 1957 Nat Cole album. |
Johnnyb, No argument. The presentation is definitely better. It's as if you're hearing the recording as it was meant to be heard. Like me, only more so, Lew has a number of acoustic jazz discs in mono. My comments are made with that in mind. Given our situation and the fact that Lew has some fabulous equipment, do you think a MONO3 or 33 would compete with a Kleos mono or Cadenza mono? I can't say for sure, but I kind of doubt it. It seems like all the Japanese companies only use spherical tips on their mono carts. Until recently there probably wasn't much demand for mono carts, but I'd like similar detail as your ML tip affords in stereo. When my MONO3 tip wears out I'll have it replaced with a more advanced one. Maybe a HOMC is a good idea here because response can be tailored with load resistance. In the mean time I am enjoying the cart, but I can't help thinking of what it might sound like with an LC or whatever. Perhaps a 33 with another tip would be a killer? Regards, |
Fleib: Well there's a thought. The ATMono3/LP can be so inexpensive ($112.65) that it might be worth retipping with a microline right away. Like AT's upscale cartridge it's internally wired with PCOCC. I am a big fan of MicroLine. Not only does it sound good, it tracks like a mofo, is easy on the records, and can be good for up to 4,000 hours (according to what I heard from an analog specialty store). The 0.7 conical stylus of the AT-33MONO and ATMONO3/LP may have its advantages, however. I think that profile may be why that mono cart does so well both on true vintage mono pressings and present-day reissues. A MicroLine might do better on moderns, worse on vintage. |
I know much less about the subject of stylus tip shape than does Fleib, but I don't see a problem using a conical (also known as "spherical") tip to play a mono LP. The "more advanced" shapes, from elliptical on up, were designed primarily to enhance reproduction from stereo LPs, or in the case of Shibata and related shapes, from quadraphonic LPs. Fleib, In your quote from the Miyajima website, surely you do not mean to poke fun at the poor English of what must be a translation from Japanese? First, we don't even know who translated the passage; it might be computer-generated. Second, the paragraph is nevertheless understandable, and in fact the sense of it is that their mono cartridge might indeed damage the grooves of a stereo LP. (Obviously, "ditch" means "groove".) Thus it is not at all fair to dismiss the author as a "dumbass". The other thing I wonder at is that the author appears to be agreeing with you; you earlier suggested that the Zero could damage a stereo LP, and I cited a reference to the contrary. (I think it was from a review of the Zero by Fremer.) I also still maintain that it would be a rare event indeed if one accidentally put a mono cartridge down on a stereo LP, a situation that would be quickly sensed and corrected, even if I am incorrect as regards the potential for damage. The question regarding tip shape for me more has to do with whether 0.7mil diameter (of a conical) is good for modern era re-pressings of mono LPs. |
Lew, I plainly said the reviewer is a dumb ass, whoever that might have been. I'm going by what you said, not having read the review myself. The Zero will damage a stereo groove or they wouldn't have put that caveat on their site. The cart does have some vertical compliance, 10cu, but is only designed for lateral movement. I believe the AT mono carts have .65 mil tips. Close enough. Of course you can play a mono or stereo LP with a spherical. People do it all the time with a DL102 or 103 and numerous inexpensive carts. I assume you would want detail with mono records as with your stereo ones. Do you listen to your stereo records with a spherical tip? The smaller minor radius of a more advanced tip profile will give you more information in mono, just as it does in stereo. I can hear loss of detail, especially in harmonic content, in comparison to my stereo carts with advanced tips. The mono cart has a better presentation with mono records and spatial clues are improved. Sometimes things are revealed in the mix which are not noticed before, but for detail, it's like listening to a stereo record with a spherical tipped cart. Regards, |
Sorry. I get it; you meant to say that the person who claimed that the Zero would not damage a stereo groove was incorrect, and you cite the blurb from the Miyajima website as evidence. Seems like you're correct. Fremer misspoke, if it was Fremer. Now, as to your critique of spherical styli, I have no basis to argue the point. It's been many decades since I ran a spherical stylus across an LP. However, to be as scientific about this subject as possible, which is "not very", you would have to say that your personal experience of a spherical stylus in comparison to some other shape, is your subjective opinion. In other words, it's anecdotal, not necessarily statistically valid. I speak here only of spherical stylus on mono LP. I would readily concede that a spherical stylus can be beaten, on a stereo LP, by other shapes. What mono cartridge with spherical tip have you auditioned? Thanks for your patience. |
If we're talking microgroove - reissues, mid '50s or later (my assumption), then a mono record is no different in that respect than a stereo LP. You're making this more mysterious than it is. I've given you this Ortofon link before: http://ortofon.com/hifi/products/mono-series Spherical styli were the most commonly used geometry up to the beginning of the 1960s. Consequently, most records from the first 15 years of microgroove records have been played with a spherical stylus. This will not, however, mean that mono has to be played with a spherical stylus. In fact, elliptical types as well as line contact types can be highly beneficial for mono records from the mid 1950s and upwards (see figures below). The line contact types, specifically, will ensure an improved high frequency response due to the slim shape. Also the distortion from the pinching effect, which occurs when the stylus is pushed upwards due narrow high frequency grooves, will be reduced substantially. Replaying an old mono record, which probably has been played only with a 25µm spherical stylus can be replayed in a different unworn location of the groove by using an 18µm spherical stylus or, even better, an elliptical or line contact stylus. Choosing one of these diamond profiles will dramatically increase the stylus’ ability to reproduce the inscription with detail and accuracy. Regards, |
Johnnyb53: Thanks for the tip on the AT Mono3/LP. I got mine from Japan last week and am very happy with it. Really sounds like a more expensive cartridge and I only have about 10 hours on it so far. I did compare it with using a stereo cartridge and the mono button on my integrated amp. For me there is no question that the mono cart sounds better even though the cartridge I compared it with (Grado Gold) costs twice as much. Especially on old 45s with a mono preamp (TDL 4010). Now I am wondering how much better the AT MONO33 is? |
Well Stringreen, you have evidently been lucky in your acquisition of mono LPs. I have several that I've rescued from thrift shops for 99 cents or less. Many of them proved to be unlistenable with my stereo setup. but revealed themselves as powerful presentations when played with my AT3MONO/LP cartridge. With your strong classical background you may be able to appreciate recordings I have of Fischer-Dieskau doing Schubert songs, Roger Wagner Chorale doing Echoes of a 16th Century Cathedral. Horowitz doing Brahms Sonatas and other recordings. Using the AT Mono cartridge makes these 50+ yr-old recordings smack me in the middle of my head with transparency, midrange impact, and a general sense of "in-the-room" presence. If you expand your experience with mono recordings from various sources, you'll see what I'm talking about. If you don't, then party on and enjoy what you have. |
Sorry to get into this thread at such a late hour. Hi Lewm, long time no see. I just purchased a Grado Statement Sonata Mono MKII and for what I listen to, it's wonderful. Right now I'm spinning my Archive Productions Elizabethan Songs and the vocal presence with string accompaniment is lovely. I considered the AT 33 mono however buying the Grado worked out better for me and given that my mono collection is nearly all classical, I have no regrets. I've been putting money into a Thorens TD 145 and I hope to replace the TP 16 tonearm with one of Origin Live models. |